It has long been known that various types of comestibles have a relatively more pleasant taste when mixed or otherwise consumed with liquids. Many types of foods fall within this category. Indeed, certain foods, such as many ready-to-eat dry cereals, are specifically manufactured with the intent that the cereals are to be mixed with liquids, such as milk, prior to consumption. To most individuals, these foods become relatively more palatable when a certain amount of liquid is absorbed by the dry foodstuffs.
However, the process of combining liquids with dry comestibles can produce difficulties. Specifically, the palatability of such combined foods is critically dependent on the level of liquid absorption by the dry comestibles. That is, many comestibles, such as ready-to-eat dry cereals, are not particularly palatable to a majority of the general public when consumed without any liquids whatsoever. Correspondingly, if such comestibles absorb too large an amount of liquids, the comestibles acquire an unpleasant taste, well-known to anyone who has let stand a mixture of dry cereal and milk for a substantial period of time. This resultant "soggy" taste is a principal reason that many individuals, both children and adults, avoid ready-to-eat dry cereals. Such avoidance is unfortunate, since many dry cereals are considered substantially more nutritious and generally healthful relative to various other comestibles which are often associated with and consumed during the breakfast meal.
It is obvious that one could advantageously consume mixtures of dry comestibles and liquids when such mixtures were in a state of "optimum palatability" if consumption could occur at a precise and known instant of time. However, different types of dry comestibles absorb liquids at differing rates. Accordingly, an optimum absorption level is attained at different times for different comestibles. Furthermore, the tastes of individual consumers vary dramatically. Thus, it would be substantially impossible for a food manufacturer to designate the level of liquid absorption that would provide the most palatable taste to all consumers.
In addition, and perhaps most importantly, the amount of food which an individual desires to consume at any one sitting is typically greater than one "mouthful" or "spoonful." Accordingly, comestibles such as dry cereals are usually poured into a bowl or similar holding container, and the consumer extracts portions of the cereals through the use of a spoon or other type of eating utensil. Liquids are typically poured into the bowl over the cereal prior to consumption. However, since all of the cereal cannot be consumed instantaneously, the liquid absorption level will differ for each mouthful. That is, the absorption level will be larger for those cereal mouthfuls which are consumed at relatively later times. While the first mouthfuls may be palatable, successively consumed subsequent mouthfuls become progressively bland and less palatable. Indeed, the last few mouthfuls are often negatively characterized (especially by children) as "mush."
In addition to the foregoing problems, consumption of dry comestibles and liquid mixtures in the manner previously described can lead to other problems. For example, when milk is poured over dry cereal in a bowl and consumed by a user, a cereal and milk residue typically remains in the bowl after consumption, the residue being too mushy or otherwise "gritty" and discolored to desirably consume. This residue results in waste of both cereal and milk, the expense of such waste being clearly apparent to today's consumer.
To overcome the foregoing problems, some individuals consume dry cereal and milk combinations by placing only a small amount of cereal in a bowl, pouring a small portion of milk over the cereal, consuming the same and then repeating the process throughout the duration of a meal. Such a process is both tedious and time-consuming. Indeed, training children to consume a meal in such a manner is typically difficult, if not altogether impossible.
Alternatively, a consumer can merely manually extract cereal from the box or bag in which it is commercially packaged, place the cereal in his/her mouth, and then consume liquid from a separate container or glass. However, such a process can also be tedious, in addition to being somewhat messy and unsanitary.
Finally, with respect to children, it is advantageous if mealtime can be an enjoyable and creative event, while remaining both sanitary and convenient. Advertisers and package designers for many foods directed toward youth have long been aware of these concepts. Unfortunately, as many parents are aware, convincing a child to consume nutritious foods, such as many of the commercially available cereals, is often a difficult task. Any uniqueness and creativity in the mealtime process can advantageously assist in the parents' goals with respect to healthful diet for their children.
The concept of avoiding the problem of ready-to-eat dry cereal becoming soggy during consumption is addressed to Naimoli in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,069,940, issued Jan. 24, 1978. The Naimoli patent describes a "crispy mix bowl" for dispensing comestibles such as dry cereal with milk. The device includes a lower frustrum-shaped bowl substantially open at the upper end thereof and adapted to receive comestible liquid, such as milk. Secured in a semi-circular fasion to a portion of the upper rim of the lower compartment is an upper compartment having a semi-circular configuration. One side of the upper compartment includes a hinged cover. Positioned approximately in the center of the upper compartment is a vertically-disposed pivotable sweeper. The dry cereal can be received in the upper compartment and the user can employ the sweeper to move the cereal toward a slot formed by an opening in the hinged cover. Accordingly, the cereal can be dispensed into the lower compartment containing the liquid at a rate corresponding to the user's consumption of the cereal and milk.
Although the Naimoli device is directed specifically to avoiding cereals becoming soggy during consumption, the cereal and milk are mixed within the device itself. The device does not provide any particular means for gauging the amount of cereal to be swept into the lower compartment. Accordingly, it would be somewhat difficult to provide only a mouthful of cereal within the lower compartment. Correspondingly, a preferred amount of condiments, such as sweetener and/or fruits, could not be gauged efficiently for each mouthful. Furthermore, the lower compartment contains an amount of milk necessary to consume the entire cereal meal. If only a small portion of the cereal is swept into the lower compartment at any one time, it may be somewhat difficult for the user to extract the cereal from the lower compartment, since the cereal will tend to disperse throughout all of the liquid milk. Should too much cereal be swept into the lower compartment, the problem of subsequently consumed mouthfuls becoming soggy will remain.
It is known to dispense food materials by means of manually rotatable devices. For example, to Radek the U.S. Pat. No. 1,551,119, issued Aug. 25, 1925, describes a dispensing device for sugar or other granular materials. The Radek device is in the form of a cylindrical case having a wheel-shaped structure formed therein with the spokes of the wheel being blades radially extending from a hub portion. The blades form a number of chambers for holding the granular materials. The periphery of the casing of the dispensing device includes an open spout adapted to communicate with consecutive chambers of the device as the wheel-like structure is manually rotated. The spout is configured so as to depend downwardly at an angle whereby gravity will cause materials to slide outwardly from the spout. Accordingly, as the blades are manually rotated, the granular material within chambers formed between the blades is selectively dispensed through the spout.